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Wednesday morning talking points: Defense holding up its end

1. The numbers make it clear that the Dolphin defense continues to hold its own.

If you’re looking for reasons why the Dolphins will fall short of the playoffs once again this season, look no further than the 27th-ranked offense, which put up more than 24 points only twice this season and typically failed to deliver in the fourth quarter with the game on the line.

But if you’re looking for areas to build on, look no further than the defense, which held Jacksonville to a single field goal last Sunday and stopped the Jaguars on three fourth-down opportunities in the Miami end of the field.

With just two games remaining, Miami now ranks first in the league in red-zone defense, limiting opponents to 19 touchdowns on 49 opportunities for a 38.8 success rate. No one else is under 40 percent.

The Dolphins are also sixth in scoring defense and fifth in third-down defense, all of which brought a smile to the face of defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle when he addressed the media Monday.

“If you can keep people from scoring, you’re going to have a chance to win a lot of games,” Coyle said.
“You’re going to put yourself in position to be contending for the playoffs that way. That’s a positive. (And) third-down defense has been a positive all year long.”

The one area the defense has not delivered is in creating turnovers, with only 12 all season. That’s tied with Philadelphia for next-to-last in the league; Indianapolis is last with 10.

2. Mike Sherman feels Ryan Tannehill’s performance Sunday could be a sign of what’s to come.

Tannehill had what has been roundly hailed as his best game as an NFL quarterback against Jacksonville, hitting 22-of-28 passes (including 18 of his last 20) for 220 yards and two touchdowns with a sack, a fumble and no interceptions for a career-best 119.9 rating.

Sherman, the Dolphins offensive coordinator who of course coached Tannehill at Texas A&M, saw a lot to like.

“(That) was a good indication of what he is capable of doing,” Sherman said. “I think he’s had some very good games. I think he showed a lot of promise. You have to understand, he hasn’t played that position as much as maybe some other quarterbacks have at a very high level. So, he’s learning on the job and I think he processes things and tries not to make to same mistake twice.

“We put an awful lot on him. He’s throwing the ball vertically down the field, medium routes, short routes, moving the pocket; there’s not a whole lot of things we don’t ask him to do. As I said, we put an awful lot on him, so I think he has an excellent future, and he will just continue to get better.”

Tannehill had been coming under quite a bit of criticism during the Dolphins’ 1-5 stretch prior to Sunday, and particularly off his performance the previous two weeks against New England and San Francisco. As much as the Patriots get knocked for their 26th-ranked defense, however, Bill Belichick runs a sophisticated scheme designed to throw young quarterbacks off their game. And the 49ers have been ranked among the defensive leaders all season.

The challenge for Tannehill will now be to build on what he accomplished Sunday.

3. Charles Clay going on IR opens up an opportunity for another tight end.

Clay, one of a number of players who left the field with injuries Sunday, went on injured reserve Tuesday with an undisclosed injury. His departure deprives the Dolphins of their fifth-leading receiver, who had caught 18 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns, including a key 31-yarder in the win over Seattle.

Clay will be missed, but just how much depends on whether another tight end can fill the void left by his absence. Jeron Mastrud is almost strictly a run-blocking tight end, so the job will likely fall to either rookie Michael Egnew, who has been inactive for every game all season, or recent pickup Kyle Miller.

Egnew, seen as the bust of the Dolphins’ draft after failing to contribute anything after being the team’s first third-round pick last April, was pretty much written off a few weeks ago by Sherman, who said at the time he didn’t anticipate Egnew getting a chance to show what he can do.

Miller was claimed on Nov. 20 after being waived by Indianapolis and coach Joe Philbin has said he’s been impressed by the 6-foot-5, 260-pounder.

If either player has a future in Miami, now seems to be the perfect time to give them a look.

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